Twelfth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

“Look about you, and from where you are, gaze to the north and south, east and west; all the land that you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth; if anyone could count the dust of the earth, your descendants too might be counted. Set forth and walk about in the land, through its length and breadth, for to you I will give it.” Abram moved his tents and went on to settle near the terebinth of Mamre, which is at Hebron. There he built an altar to the LORD.

God gives us every opportunity to thrive in this world. He gives us gifts and graces that allow us to fulfill our unique role in His Divine Plan. His blessings cannot be counted... they are more numerous than the dust of the earth. He has prepared a place for us in this world that will lead to prosperity. Perhaps not in human terms of wealth and fame, but in heavenly terms of spiritual rewards and glory. And in return for all of this, He only asks us to know, love, and serve Him and His children as He knows, loves, and serves us. It is when we imitate Him that we are most uniquely ourselves. It is when we think, speak, and do His Will that we make our hearts into living altars to His Love, Goodness, and Mercy.

Have we looked around and really appreciated all God has given us? How have we given thanks for all the gifts and graces we have? In what ways can we make ourselves into living sacrifices to God?

O Lord, make our hearts into altars to you.

Amen.

Twelfth Monday of Ordinary Time

The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel, pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name. Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.

We should be building altars to God within our hearts just as Abram built altars in his own life. We should remember what God has done for us. We should remember to invoke God’s name in thanksgiving as well as supplication. And just like Abram, we shall continue our journey towards heaven in stages. The conversion of our hearts, minds, and souls usually happens in small steps along the narrow path, each step leading us closer to God and further along the way to holiness. Sometimes God may give us opportunities to grow in our faith and love by leaps and bounds, but other times we shall struggle inch-by-inch toward heaven with only hope keeping us going. However, as long as we keep our eyes on God and our thoughts, words, and works moving forward toward God, then we shall be given every grace we need to enter the Heavenly Kingdom through the narrow gate of Christ.

Have we made a spiritual altar within our hearts? In what ways do we give thanks to God for all He has done for us? How can we take the next step in our faith journey?

O Lord, may our hearts be an altar to you and our thoughts, words, and works a sacrifice of thanksgiving to you.

Amen.

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

There is nothing in heaven or on earth that we should fear more than God. As such, the proclamation of the Good News and of God’s Love for the world is more important than anything else. We should speak the truth everywhere we go. We should not be afraid to be confronted by others for our beliefs. We should only be afraid of being led astray by the Evil One and brought to destruction in Hell.

Are we truly afraid of disappointing God? How can we do a better job of proclaiming God’s Good News? What can we do to protect ourselves from the temptations and destructive sins which are born from the Evil One?

O Lord, let us fear nothing more than disappointing you.

Amen.

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory.

We are called from birth to be instruments of God’s Will. We are called to sharpen our minds, wills, spirits, and even our bodies so we can do what God asks us to do. He wants us to polish these things so that we can be intelligent, disciplined, loving, and mortified. Why? Because with intelligence, we gain understanding of the truths of our faith. With discipline, we learn to tame our passions, keep the commandments, fast, and pray each and every day. With love, we become selfless and sacrificial people, who give alms, act with charity and mercy, and do good works. With mortification, we learn to control our physical appetites so we become healthier and more effective tools for God. Taken together, all these things give us the graces and gifts we need to be good and faithful servants, revealing God’s Glory through everything we think, say, and do.

How can we sharpen our minds so we can grow in faith? How can we sharpen our wills and spirits so we might choose to live wisely and well and love with all our hearts? How can we sharpen our bodies so they are healthy and used in ways that increase our faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, may our lives reveal your glory.

Amen.

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

It was not because you are the largest of all nations that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you, for you are really the smallest of all nations. It was because the LORD loved you and because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn your fathers, that he brought you out with his strong hand from the place of slavery, and ransomed you from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed, the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant down to the thousandth generation toward those who love him and keep his commandments.

God didn’t choose to create us and offer us His blessings and graces because we are powerful, but rather because of our weakness. He wants to be our strength for goodness, for love, and for mercy. He wants to lead us out of our slavery to sin and our inclination toward evil to a better life founded on faith, hope, and love. He ransomed us from our sins because He wants us to love Him as He loves us with His Most Sacred Heart. He asks us to keep his commandments because they set our lives on the right path toward imitation of His Love and Mercy. All these things mold us into good and faithful servants shaped in His Divine Image, which is founded on the love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

How do we thank God for creating and blessing us? How can we more faithfully follow Him? What can we do to make the Image of God manifest in our every thought, word, and work?

O Lord, thank you for your merciful covenant.

Amen.

Eleventh Thursday of Ordinary Time

I plundered other churches by accepting from them in order to minister to you. And when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. By the truth of Christ in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

As we go through life, we should strive to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of others. We should do everything we can to avoid being a burden on anyone. Will there be times when we are in need of help? Yes, and when those times comes we shouldn’t deny others acts of charity toward us, but once our needs are met and our challenges overcome than we should seek to be givers, not receivers. In this way, we imitate Christ who was the ultimate giver, sacrificing himself for our good and salvation. Let us remember, we become the most Christ-like when we perform acts of love and mercy.

Are we striving to be givers, while being open to help when we need it? In what ways do we take care of others? How can we become more self-sacrificial and less of a burden on others?

O Lord, make us into givers of your love, mercy, and grace.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.

God wants us to give our love and mercy to others without counting the cost. He wants us to give all we can and do so cheerfully without sadness or compulsion. He wants us to take the graces He has given to us and to do good works without expectation of return. He wants us to be givers and not takers. By giving to others, we imitate God, the Great Giver of Life, and learn to detach ourselves from worldly things. Those who are charitable discover that although they might give away much, they receive the greatest reward, which is the joy and peace that comes from doing God’s Will.

Are we sowing sparingly or bountifully in our spiritual lives? How can we become more cheerful givers? What can we do to become abundant in good works?

O Lord, you have given us every grace to sow and reap abundantly.

Amen.